Nigerian Navy Close Dawn Illegal Maritime Academy In A/Ibom

Operatives of the Nigerian Navy NNS
Jubilee in Akwa Ibom on Sunday closed
the premises of an illegal Merchant
Seaman Maritime Academy at Ikot Aduto
in Essien Udim local Government area of
Akwa Ibom State.
The Navy also arrested the owner of the
Academy, a self styled Captain, Adams
Pius and nine others, including two
women, for allegedly operating the fake
merchant navy academy.
About 95 students of   the illegal
Seaman Academy, who were adorned in
Nigerian Navy uniform, were also
disbanded and asked to return home.
Other suspects were mostly the lecturers
of the school, which the Navy claimed
had been in operation for quite some
time now and had many graduates as
staffs.
Briefing newsmen shortly after sealing of
the premises, Mudiaga Ejumabone
(Captain) and Executive Officer NNS
Jubilee Ikot Abasi who led the operation
said the Merchant Seaman Academy, is
not an approved institution.
He added that the only institution that
trains merchant navy in the country is
Maritime Academy of Nigeria, Oron,
under the supervision of the Federal
Ministry of Transport.
Ejumabone who represented the
Commander NNS Jubilee, Saidu Garba
accused the proprietor of the school
Adams Pius of parading himself as a
Captain in the school adding that he had
never attended any Navy school.
He stated that the academy did not have
any legal backing to operate and that it
was neither registered nor approved by
the Ministry of Transport as Maritime
training Institution.
‘’Some of these people often deceive
would-be recruits that it has affiliation
with Nigerian Navy and the Maritime
Academy of Nigeria, Oron, as their
uniforms resemble naval uniforms and
accoutrements.”
As you can see they are impersonating,
especially with their mode of dressing,
which is similar to the naval uniform,
causing a big embarrassment to the
Nigerian Navy.
“The nefarious activities of these so-
called seafarers, if not nipped in the bud,
would continue to constitute serious
security problems in the country.
Once the products of this training
programme cannot secure jobs, they
might become ready tools to be used as
thugs, armed robbers, assassins and
possibly, militants.”
But the Adams the proprietor of the
school said the school was registered by
the Federal Ministry and National Board
for Technical Education NABTE.
He said he studied in Ghana as a
Marine Engineer and has never attended
any naval training school before, but
bestowed on himself the naval rank of
Captain to reflect the nomenclature of
seaman school which is generally used
by mariners.